The argument was in full swing as Felicity walked down the stairs from the nightclub above.
'We need to hit it now!' Oliver thumped the desk in front of him for emphasise, causing Felicity's precious monitors to rock slightly from the blow.
'I get it, man,' Diggle's replied in his calmest voice. 'But we need to be sure. If we hit the building and the bomb's not there we blow our only viable lead.'
Neither man had noticed the blonde walking towards them.
'And if we don't and that bomb goes off,' Oliver finally noticed Felicity standing off to one side and nodded at her before returning his attention to Diggle. 'I'm not willing to risk all those lives, are you?'
'Hell no!' Diggle snapped back at his friend, 'but you're the one who was advising caution only yesterday, remember?'
'That was before I learned what kind of bomb it was.'
'What kind of bomb are we talking about?' Felicity asked, 'Guys?'
'All the more reason to be certain first,' Diggle said.
'What kind of bomb?' Felicity looked from Oliver to Diggle then back again. 'Hello, I leave to change my clothes and the world suddenly comes to an end?'
'Ping Donnelly's cell,' Oliver growled before stalking over to his weapons case.
'Pinging,' Felicity sat down at her monitors and found the program that would pinpoint the location of the latest bad guy's cell phone. As the program ran she glanced over at Diggle.
John Diggle leant over and spoke quietly to Felicity, 'We got intel that the bomb might be dirty.'
Felicity gasped as she looked at the map on her screen and the small red dot that indicated the location of Donnelly's cell, sitting almost right in the middle of Starling City. 'Dirty as in –'
'Radioactive,' Diggle finished for her.
'H – How big?'
'Big enough that if it goes off we won't be finishing this conversation,' Diggle answered, gravely. 'No one will.'
'Which is why we have to move now!' Oliver had walked back over to his partners and was staring down at the monitor. 'He's still there.'
'His cell is there,' Diggle pointed out, 'doesn't mean he is. This guy's not stupid, remember, he has to have multiple burners. Most people know that the police can track you through your cell phone thanks to every cop show in the last decade. He could have left that one behind and be halfway across the city by now.'
'It's a risk we'll have to take.'
'Actually I might have an idea how –' Felicity's words were cut off as Diggle moved towards Oliver.
'I know you're worried, Oliver,' the older man said. 'I've got family here too, but it's all the more important that we know for sure.'
'I can't fail this city again.'
Everyone in the room knew that Oliver was talking about the Undertaking and the earthquake that had killed over five hundred people.
Felicity spun about in her chair and tried to get Oliver's attention. 'Listen, I really think –'
'I've got too much blood on my hands, Diggle, I can't wait any longer.' Oliver whispered.
Growling under her breath as the two men continued to ignore her; Felicity spun back to her monitors and began typing. Satisfied with her re-coding she picked up her handbag and pulled out her cell phone. Eyes flicking from her computer monitor to her cell she began typing in a number.
Diggle noticed her actions first. 'What are you doing?'
'If you want to know where Donnelly really is all you have to do is call him.' She explained, typing in the last digit with a flourish.
'Felicity!' Oliver growled and moved towards her.
Felicity held up one finger towards Oliver, 'Shh, it's ringing.' Turning her back on the men she began twirling a finger through her blonde ponytail.
Oliver looked over at Diggle in disbelief.
Diggle just shook his head, 'I'm sure she knows what she's doing,' he muttered quietly, trying to calm Oliver down.
Oliver was just about to snatch the cell from Felicity's hand when her suddenly stiffening body posture told him it was too late, Donnelly had answered.
'Hey sexy, it's Becky, you home?'
Oliver swallowed heavily as Felicity's words registered. He wasn't sure which affected him more, the actual words themselves or the tone she was using. Turning he saw that Diggle, also, was more than a little surprised at the change in their IT girl. Gone was the bubbly, babbling Felicity and in her place seemed to be this sultry woman speaking in a low sexy voice.
'Where's Paulie?' Felicity asked.
An indistinct murmur was all Oliver could hear of the other side of the conversation. Slowly he walked around the desk, trying to catch Felicity's eye.
'I'm looking for Paulie.' Felicity had stopped twirling her hair and was now running her fingers across her collarbone, catching sight of Oliver from the corner of her eye; she quickly turned her chair to avoid looking at him. 'I'm bored and I'm looking for my man,' she pouted.
Diggle's stifled snort of amusement stopped Oliver in his tracks and he turned back to glare at his friend. Diggle just shrugged and smiled back at him.
'Well maybe you could help a poor girl out.' Felicity sighed as she sat up straighter in her chair and began clicking away at her keyboard. 'What's your name?'
'Please, don't say Oliver,' Diggle murmured very quietly to himself.
'Oh, David, that's a nice name.' Felicity purred as the mouse she was wielding flashed across the screen.
Clenching his fists and closing his eyes Oliver ground his teeth together. He'd rather take on a dozen Merlyn's at once than stand here and listen to this.
'What am I wearing?' Felicity's laugh caused shivers to run up and down Oliver's spine.
His eyes snapped open just in time to see Felicity punch the air in triumph. Before he had a chance to snatch the phone off her and smash it to the ground his beloved IT girl was back.
'Ohmygod, I gotta go bye.' Felicity dropped her cell on the desk and clapped both hands over her mouth. Spinning slowly in her chair she turned to look at the two men.
Diggle was trying to hide a smirk behind his hand while Oliver seemed to be in full Arrow mode.
What?' Felicity asked, innocently.
Oliver opened his mouth, before closing it again. He took several deep breaths as he fought to bring his emotions under control. Half a dozen sentences started then stopped in his head before he latched onto one that seemed relevant. 'You used your own cell?'
Felicity jumped slightly at being the recipient of the full on Arrow growl. 'I was careful.'
'And if you weren't?! What if he had someone who could trace your call?'
Felicity jumped up out of her chair, standing right up to Oliver. 'I'm not stupid, if he had someone half as good as me, then all he would have found out is that I rerouted the call through over a dozen different countries and that I was calling from Hong Kong.'
'And if Donnelly had someone as good as you?'
Felicity lifted her chin a little. 'No one is as good as me.'
Oliver fought to hide his smile at Felicity's words. 'Next time clear it with me first.'
Relieved to hear that Oliver seemed to be calming down Felicity just nodded.
Diggle looked from Oliver to Felicity. Seriously was no one going to ask the obvious? 'Who the hell is "Becky"?'
Felicity's expression had the "deer in the headlights" look she sometimes adopted when either Diggle or Oliver asked something she wasn't expecting. Sitting back down in her chair she tried to shrug casually. 'Oh you know, when I was in college I used to work on one of those sex lines for extra cash.'
Oliver grunted like he had just been gut punched and Diggle automatically reached out as if to restrain the young man, worried that Oliver might overreact and try to hit something.
Felicity's eyes widened in shock at Oliver's reaction before they hardened. 'I was joking,' she snapped at the both of them, 'what kind of girl do you think I am?'
'Up until a few minutes ago,' Diggle replied, his arm still outstretched but not touching Oliver, 'we thought we knew.'
'I was acting, you guys,' Felicity tried and failed to hide the hurt in her voice. 'And it worked.' She turned in her chair and indicated the nearest monitor screen. The earlier small red dot was now a little darker and bigger and slightly to the left of its previous position. But it was still in the same building. 'I just needed to keep him talking for a little while so I just,' she shrugged, 'you know.'
'And the voice?' Diggle was curious to know.
Felicity frowned slightly at the question. 'Oliver gets to use his Arrow voice when he's undercover; I wanted an undercover voice too.'
'That's not the same, Felicity.' Oliver said.
'Yes it is.'
Oliver shook his head. 'No it isn't.'
'Actually, man,' Diggle said, 'it kinda is.'
Oliver turned his head to glare at Diggle as if to say who's side are you on?
'But I did good, yeah?' Felicity's voice had dropped in her uncertainty. 'We can go catch the bad guy, now, and save the city.'
Oliver walked over to stand next to Felicity, he leant down; one hand resting on the back of her chair, the other on her desk. He started at the computer monitor for a moment before nodding. 'You did good, just,' he hesitated for a moment before continuing, 'don't do that again.'
'Okay,' Felicity whispered.
Standing up, Oliver briefly squeezed Felicity's shoulder before turning to Diggle. 'Time to go.'
Diggle nodded, 'Right behind you.'
'Stay safe.' Felicity called out as Oliver pulled his hood over his face and scooped up his bow and quiver of arrows in one smooth motion.
As Oliver strode up the stairs Diggle hesitated and looked back at Felicity. 'Hey, you okay?'
Felicity straightened up from her slightly slumped position and tried to smile at Diggle. 'He's pretty mad, isn't he?'
Diggle shook his head, 'Nah, you just surprised him that's all. Surprised both of us. You know what he's like; five years on that island did nothing for his manners.'
Felicity pushed her glasses up her nose and smiled. 'Yeah, I guess.'
'You did what you had to do. We'd still be here arguing about it if you hadn't gone and rang that number. He knows it, he's just a little . . .' Diggle searched for the right word.
'Pissed?' Felicity supplied.
Diggle laughed a little. 'More like thrown. That Becky really did a number on him.'
Felicity raised an eyebrow, surprised at Diggle's words. 'She did?'
Diggle nodded. 'Oh yeah, that man really needs to go out and hit something right now. Good thing you gave him a target or I'd be feeling it tomorrow.'
'Diggle!'
Oliver's shout drifted back from the stairs.
'Coming.' Diggle bellowed back at his friend before turning back to the woman sitting before him. 'One last piece of advice?'
Felicity nodded at Diggle. 'Sure.'
'Next time you feel like letting Becky outta her box, give the man a head's up first, okay? Hell, give both of us the head's up.'
'Next time?' Felicity sat up straighter, that thought had never occurred to her.
Diggle nodded, 'Oh that act is too good for just one night's performance.'
Felicity smiled at the compliment. 'Thanks.'
'Any time.' He tapped his earpiece. 'And keep online okay, we might need Detective Lance and the bomb squad at a moment's notice.'
Felicity nodded. 'Okay.'
'Just don't go trying out Becky on the poor detective; you might give him a heart attack or something.'
~~~~ A ~~~~
Diggle insisted that he drive Oliver to Donnelly's building. Arguing that in his present state of mind Oliver might be just distracted enough to get into an accident. The fact that the younger man didn't even put up a token argument convinced Diggle he was right.
Halfway through the ride Diggle began to chuckle.
'Something funny?' Oliver snapped.
'Sex line in college, damn that was a good one!' Glancing sideways Diggle added, 'Had you going there for a minute.'
Oliver grunted, 'Had both of us going.'
Diggle's grin widened. 'Yes she did, our girl's got hidden depths.'
Sighing Oliver pulled his hood down, they were driving through the industrial district and at this time of the night the chances of him being seen were slim.
'I take it you've never heard that side of her before?'
Oliver shook his head. 'No.'
'Didn't think so, that voice in your ear would put a guy off his mission damn quick.'
Oliver grunted in agreement.
They drove in silence for a few minutes before Oliver spoke, 'What were you two talking about after I left?'
'Just letting her know she did okay.'
'I told her she did okay.'
Diggle took a moment to turn and look at Oliver before turning his attention back to the road. 'No, you told her she did okay, I told her she did okay, okay . . . okay?'
Now it was Oliver's turn to stare at Diggle. 'You're beginning to sound just like her.'
'She does have that effect on you.'
Sighing Oliver looked forward. 'Yes, she does,' he whispered.
Diggle ran the next sentence through his head a few times before deciding to voice it out loud. 'Don't tell Lyla, but is it wrong I'd pay good money to hear that voice again?'
The sound of a gloved fist striking the dashboard was Oliver's only reply.
Sighing Diggle indicated a turn. 'Yeah, I'm going to pay for that comment next time we spar aren't I?'
'Yes you are!' Oliver snapped back through gritted teeth.
Diggle didn't reply, content for now to concentrate on driving.
Oliver finally sighed, 'Diggle?'
'Hmm?'
'I'd pay good money to hear that voice again too.'
Diggle laughed, it wasn't like the guy couldn't afford it. 'Oliver, man,' he said, 'you're the one guy on the planet that wouldn't have to pay.' Diggle shook his head at Oliver's questioning glance. 'Man, when you gonna wake up?'
Oliver was spared from having to answer that question as they pulled into the street containing Donnelly's hideout. Pulling up his hood, Oliver reached up to his chest and touched the link back to the Foundry. 'Felicity, you there?'
'Always.'
Oliver's lips twitched at her answer. 'We've arrived.'
'I have Detective Lance and the bomb disposal team on standby waiting for your orders.'
'Have them hang back for now while Diggle and I sweep the building.'
'Okay, be careful.'
Oliver and Diggle opened their doors and stepped out.
Diggle sniffed the air, 'Oh, I feel a hurting coming on for someone tonight.'
While Oliver felt the same way be didn't like to speak it out loud. 'Let's just get this over with.'
The sooner the city was safe again the sooner he could get back to the Foundry and have a certain conversation with Felicity about that voice and exactly where it was appropriate to use it.
